University of Virginia Library

The fourth Scœne.

Enter Artlove by the left Scœne.
Artl.
How glorious shews heaven with trembling lights
Sparkling their distant beames! The full orb'd Moone
Borne on nights dewie wings, rides in her Sphœre;
And throwes the shine which from her brothers rayes
She borrowes to illuminate the earth
Through thinner ayre, where no condensed vapours
Are interpos'd to let her piercing eye
From seeing that which she gives sight to. Yet
My heart is wrapt in clouds of leaden sadnesse.
Love is not that in me which others feigne it.
I dreame not of delights; my busie fancie
Presents no fabulous heaven. A hell of torment
Darken's my mind's bright faculties; and reason
suffers it selfe to be ecclips'd by passion.

Dobs.

Now wee are enter'd Ralph, what if wee made
this our profession? many a one lives by it.

Ralph.
And many a one is hang'd for it.

Artl.
Oft have these instruments of heavens influence
Seene my contemplative watchings;
When with profound and an unwearied search
I have scan'd the causes of their great effects;
And waded through the most inscrutable secrets
Both of the mediate and immediate nature.
But comming once to read a Womans face,
There were so many heavens, that every thought
In me, requir'd a severall understanding,
To give each severall grace a severall name,
And definition.

Dobs.
Thou art affraid of the gallowes?

Ralph.
Not much of the gallowes without a hangman.

Artl.
The Chaos and the earth were loves first Parents;
And yet the child did give the Parents forme.
What Riddles are in nature!
Man's a disorder'd Masse, a meere confusion
Of rude, inanimate sense and understanding.
Vntill inspir'd with loves diviner soule.
The sense is tir'd, unlesse it varye's objects.
Knowledge would be finite, were not the mind
Delighted with diversitie.
But love's a subject for eternall studie;
And one faire booke preserv'd so, a full library.

Dobson.

I am resolv'd; I'le nor spare man, woman nor
child, whilst the sack works.

Ralph.

For women and children let me alone: if I fall
upon the one, Ile soone get the other.

Artl.
What fabulous errors learning is attended with!
Plato's five Worlds; their sempiternitie;
Pythagoras transmigration; and opinions
Judgement would blush to father. But a woman,
Did men contemplate such a one as I doe,
They'd Make her all those Worlds; and then include
All the fam'd excellence of former beauties
In her more perfect frame.